South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) president Motlhabane Abnar Tsebe says the organisation will help in transporting the body of e-hailing driver Siyanda Mthokozisi Mvelase from Gauteng to KwaZulu-Natal for his funeral. Mvelase was killed in a violent attack at Maponya Mall, Soweto, last week.
The organisation distanced itself from the criminal element in the transport industry and emphasised that it was not responsible for the death but acknowledged that it happened within the taxi industry space.
“As Santaco, we are ready to take care of the body in partnership with the funeral parlour. I've sent my team to talk ask the family if they will give us the go-ahead to take the body from Gauteng to KZN and also to bury the body. Sponsors can take care of other stuff like your catering,” said Tsebe.
After the funeral, Santaco will be sending a team to the hospital to check on those injured during the Maponya Mall incident, Tsebe said. And they will hold a prayer day at the mall after consultation with the mall's management.
“As Santaco, we cannot remain silent. We condemn this violence in the strongest possible terms. It is inhuman, it is criminal, and it is unacceptable. We are saying zero tolerance for violence. Any operator, driver, or member of our associations found to have been involved in this attack, or any similar act of violence, will be immediately expelled. It's a promise: we are saying to our members, enough is enough, we cannot continue like this,” he said.
Tsebe urged authorities to take firm action against criminals in the taxi industry who are terrorising communities, saying they must be brought to justice.
“People must be arrested so we can show that we are serious about this. So Santaco is coming forward, we are saying forgive us. We are working on this, and we want divine intervention.
“There is also a new trend where criminals hide behind the name of the taxi industry to commit heinous crimes such as kidnapping, killings, extortion, drugs, violence in all forms — the list is endless. These criminals do not represent us. They do not represent the taxi industry.”
An immediate intervention at Maponya Mall is needed, he said.
“All transport operators, taxis, e-hailing and meter taxis will have equal access to operate inside the Maponya Mall transport facility. There will be no crossroads. Security in the mall will be stable.”
Tackling violence and transforming the industry requires collective effort, he said. This requires the government, law enforcement, communities and the taxi industry working together.
“That is why we take full responsibility for ensuring that violence is rooted out of this industry. We have made progress over the years, but clearly the fight is not over. This tragedy is a call to intensify our work. We will not rest until discipline, safety and professionalism are the standard across our industry.”
The Competition Commission report on e-hailing and metered taxis in 2020 highlights several systematic issues that have contributed to tension between traditional operators and e-hailing platforms, said Tsebe.
“Among these are uneven regulation and enforcement. While both e-hailing and metered taxis are subject to licensing under the National Land Transport Act, poor enforcement has resulted in an uneven playing field. An estimated 79% of e-hailing operators operate without valid licences. Meter taxis face rigid area restrictions, leading to higher operational costs, while e-hailing operators enabled by digital platforms operate across municipal boundaries and obviously some are even interprovincial. This has intensified perception of unfair competition and safety concerns and no-go
Santaco Gauteng chair Midday Mali believes KZN police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi would have resolved most of the Gauteng violence issues.
“I do believe if we had Mkhwanazi, most of these issues could have been resolved a long time ago, because we are reporting as the structures that we are facing challenges in our regions, in our province, there are conflicts that are there,” he said.
The legal system needs to be scrutinised as it creates and allows criminal elements to do as they wish within the industry, he added.
Tsebe said the public has the right to choose its mode of transport.
“You have the right to choose how you travel, whether by private car, e-hailing, meter taxi, bus, train or taxi. You've got a choice. The only thing you must do is to make sure you are safe. No commuter should ever be told what service to use or be punished for their choice.
“Your safety is our priority. We will not rest until public transport SA is safe, fair and free of violence.”
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